Portland’s splendid food scene shines brightly.
If your ideal getaway features extraordinary meals — resplendent with fresh, delectable, local ingredients — as well as exceptional locally crafted wine, beer, and spirits, book a trip to Portland, Ore. The city is just an hour-and-a-half flight from Reno-Tahoe, which makes it an easy jaunt to dive headlong into a food-and-drink extravaganza.
You can feast on locally grown and produced gems at their finest, including hazelnuts, wild game, and the famous bacon maple bar at Voodoo Doughnut. You’ll also find great Thai and Italian specialties, sushi burritos, fried chicken, burgers, barbecue, and brunch. For street food, the food truck/cart scene is one of the biggest in the country. You can find pretty much any food you crave in Portland, and it’s highly probable it will be simply scrumptious.
After a slow recovery from Covid-19 closures and protests over police reform and social justice, The Rose City has perked up and is welcoming visitors. At first, I was a little leery about planning a stay in this town after continually hearing stories about a sharp rise in rampant crime. But I found the news reports to be overblown. When I arrived, I felt safe and secure.
When I lived in Portland in the mid-1990s, I enjoyed the Northwest culture, laid-back people clad in environmentally conscious clothing, and the active lifestyle. I also loved the food and drink: wild salmon plucked from the rivers, foraged mushrooms and marionberries fresh from the forest, sweet oysters from the coast, and local pinot noir proudly poured at nearly every bar and restaurant. I’ve visited a few times, but it has been at least 12 years since my last trip. Thus, in early June of last year, I booked a sojourn to explore the city I fell in love with 27 years ago.
Chic Accommodations
Home base for my trip was the lovely Woodlark Hotel in Downtown Portland. The property is situated in a lovingly refurbished Baroque-revival-style building, constructed in 1908, and it oozes with sophistication and cool. The rooms are clean, inviting, and draped in modern furnishings. (Ask for a corner room for a bigger space.) Order coffee service in the morning (a Thermos of hot coffee and a vessel of cream) because sipping the warm beverage in the comfy bed with a view of downtown buildings and hills is sublime. The hotel also houses a restaurant, Bullard Tavern, that features seasonal and local fare, as well as speakeasy-style Abigail Hall for cocktails and high tea. And the coffeehouse in the lobby serves Good Coffee, locally roasted in Portland, as well as fresh lattes, kolaches, and pastries (such as moist banana bread).
After settling into the hotel, I headed to Nostrana for dinner and was happy with the choice. The big, beautiful dining room — with interesting lighting, art, and an open-air kitchen — was packed even on an early Monday evening. The food and wine were exceptional. I understand why the restaurant is so lauded. (For one, chef/owner Cathy Whims is a six-time James Beard Foundation Award finalist.) The eatery features Italian specialties such as thin-crust pizza with house-made mozzarella, as well as braised lamb shoulder, roasted trout, and grilled rib eye, and dreamy fresh pasta and organic chicken. My well-balanced cocktail had a nice clear cube, and the divine wine list is heavily weighted with Italian options as well as a healthy dose of local selections. The sommelier, who spoke with an Italian accent, was extremely well versed in the wines. It was as if he had been to each winery himself (and maybe he had). The Italian wine he helped me choose was elegant and complex. Near the end of the meal, the window screens were hoisted up, and the amber glow of dusk filled the dining room, a theatrical ending to the evening.
In the morning, I trekked to Screen Door, a decadent Southern comfort spot that’s perfect for brunch. The feeling, inside and out, is like a funky, old Southern restaurant, with large preserve-packed Mason jars on the wall, and an open kitchen you spy through a drape. I ordered shrimp and grits and a blood orange mimosa. Other popular picks include chicken and waffles, cornmeal-crusted okra, crispy fried oysters, praline bacon, black-eyed pea fritters, and bananas Foster French toast. The service was extremely friendly.
Shop ’Til You Drop
After breakfast, I set off to explore several shopping districts to get a true taste of Portland. I visited Northeast Portland’s Alberta Arts District for its quirky mix of galleries, shops, restaurants, and murals. The area is frequented by a mostly young and freshly tattooed set. Psychic Sister is an interesting shop with recycled and vintage clothing, and ECOVIBE and PDX Gold Dust had fun selections of home décor and gifts. Many restaurants in the district feature multicultural cuisine (Ethiopian, Iraqi, Mexican, Indian, and more). I also roamed the Pearl District, Downtown, and West End, where you can step into the famous Powell’s City of Books as well as shops such as Orox Leather Co., MadeHere (stocked with local products), Woonwinkel, Amity Artisan Goods, and French Quarter Linens, where I purchased a few dish towels. You also can shop along NW 23rd Ave., SE Division and SE Hawthorne streets, and other areas.
Cocktail Time
Next, I headed to Teardrop Lounge. It’s a sophisticated bar with thoughtfully prepared cocktails and a great place to take in the early evening scene. The space has an industrial hip design with a circular bar in the center surrounded by booths. Light streams in from the tall front windows and skylight. An elaborate rack of tinctures and hand-labeled bottles of spirits and mixers sits on the edge of the bar. The day I visited, the bar was staffed only by female bartenders, and they moved to the sound of old soul music playing over the speakers.
Teardrop has won numerous accolades, including being on the list for North America’s 50 best bars, one of the best bars in Playboy magazine, among the best bartenders of the year by Portland Monthly, amongthe best bars in America by Esquire, one of the 50 best bars in America by Food & Wine, and America’s best cocktail barsby Travel + Leisure. If you enjoy a mixed drink, this is the spot for you; Teardrop is extremely serious about its cocktails.
After the last sip of my drink, I made a beeline for dinner at Janken, which was one of Portland’s most exciting eateries to open in 2022. Japanese-Korean fusion cuisine is served in a space marked by an eternally blossoming cherry tree in the center with chef’s table seats around it. The classic Japanese-Danish interior design is romantic, clean, and simple. As for the food, the Peking duck was spectacularly succulent, all the sushi and sashimi tasted like they were fresh from the sea, and the rib eye had a charcoal smoked hibachi flavor that was not overly done. I enjoyed the meal with a light, subtle French red wine. It was difficult to decide on my last bite because the whole meal was so flavorful.
The following day I headed to Cheryl’s on 12th for breakfast. I ordered the salmon eggs Benedict and a guava mimosa. It was a bustling corner restaurant and a perfect spot to begin the day’s adventure.
Japanese Gardens
After breakfast, I drove up the pine-covered hills to visit the Portland Japanese Garden inside Washington Park. Its 12 acres features eight separate gardens, an authentic Japanese tea house, streams and ponds, quaint bridges, and views of the city and Mt. Hood. Be prepared for lots of walking on uneven surfaces and moss-lined stone steps, but you’ll discover benches and cedar huts where you can rest. It’s well worth the visit to marvel at the sun-dappled and perfectly pruned bonsai and azalea bushes, ferns, ancient pines, and magnificent rhodies. Also, you can sign up for a tea ceremony at Umami Café to learn the way of tea. The gardens are mostly tranquil, perfect for contemplating and meditating, but it was busy on a Wednesday in early June.
A perfect complement to a relaxing afternoon in the gardens was dinner at Amaterra in the West Hills. The beautiful two-year-old resort-style property features a soaring, pitched, cedar-planked ceiling and big windows and wood accents throughout. The décor is Northwest modern, and there’s a gorgeous view of neighborhoods and forest below, both inside and on the expansive deck. Menu highlights include salmon, halibut, scallops, risotto, New York steak, and a smash burger, among other selections. To start, house-made olive-and-herb focaccia bread is served in a cast-iron pan. Per the menu, the wine list features mostly local varietals from “producers we have met, made wine with, sourced fruit from, had great meals with, and who exemplify the collaborative spirit of our wonderful industry.”
Not only is Amaterra a restaurant, but it’s also a state-of-the-art winery. A 12-acre vineyard and gravity-flow winery are on site, producing 10,000 cases of wine annually. To visit, Amaterra charges a one-time $25 membership fee. But it can be applied toward the purchase of two or more bottles of wine.
Wine Country
While you could spend your entire trip in Portland and be happy, I highly recommend touring Willamette Valley to relish the serene views, feel the cool marine layer, and taste the wine. It’s less than an hour’s drive from Portland.
My first stop was Durant, which for more than 50 years has grown grapes to make delicious wine. Along with Erath, Sokol Blosser, Ponzi, and a few others, Durant is one of the pioneering grape-farming families in the valley.
Durant is on an oak-studded hilltop overlooking the valley with indoor and outdoor seating, as well as outside cabanas (complete with blankets) available for rent. Cabana guests may order large bento boxes full of goodies such as cheeses, dried fruits, farmers’ market veggies, and smoked coho salmon spread. The family-owned and -operated winery/vineyard grows French-cloned grapes to produce French wines. Like many other wine producers in the valley, French wines are a huge influence. That’s because the Burgundy region has a similar climate, so French grapes grow well here. The pinot I tasted was sublime, but Durant also produces Chardonnay and sparkling wine.
In addition, Durant is the largest producer of olives in the Northwest, with 17 acres devoted to the trees. The olives are estate milled, and Durant’s extra-virgin olive oil is award winning. In its on-site shop, you can purchase wonderful olive oils, wines, and gifts.
Lunch Break
Then it was time for lunch at Red Hills Market, just down the hill in Dundee. Red Hills is a gourmet market and café with a large tented outdoor patio as well as some indoor seating. I nibbled on a tuna melt and a slice of pizza. However, there are many choices on the expansive menu, including Benedicts, shakshuka, and waffles for breakfast, and tapas, soup, and steak frites for lunch and dinner. It’s a nice spot to enjoy a bite before setting off for more wine tasting.
Next, I headed to Et Fille, which offers a tasting room on Newberg’s main drag. I met owner Jessica Mozeico, who told me the story of her winery as well as wine production in general in Willamette Valley. I learned a lot and appreciated her passion for the business. I tasted many of her memorable wines — pinot noir, viognier, Chardonnay, Gamay noir, and more — and bought a few bottles to take home.
Mozeico noted that though only a small percentage of the nation’s wines come from the Willamette Valley, they are mighty. For instance, the wine-rating systems often bestow high marks to Willamette wines. While pinot noir is king in the valley, locals are growing other varietals, including Chardonnay (and making excellent wines from the grapes). She said the taste is different from Napa Chardonnay; it’s not buttery or oaky. She noted that Gamay is becoming a popular varietal to grow in the valley as well.
The final stop of the day was at Rex Hill, a winery that has been in business for 40 years. The tasting room was remodeled from 2020 to 2021, and now there’s a gleaming new space with indoor tables and chairs, as well as a beautiful outdoor deck on which to lounge. I sipped on pinot noir, Chardonnay, rosé, and sparkling wine while soaking up the view.
With 1,016 vineyards and 736 wineries in Willamette Valley, it’s hard to decide which to visit. But here are a few more favorites recommended by those we visited: Archery Summit (with a wine cave), Argyle Winery, The Eyrie Vineyards, Domaine Drouhin, Domaine Serene, Matzinger Davies Wine Co., Bethel Heights Vineyard (try the Chardonnay), Brooks (with 17 rieslings), and even a Francis Ford Coppola winery under the label Domaine Lumineux.
I ended my final evening at Canard, which I knew about because of the James Beard Foundation award-winning owner’s sister restaurant, Le Pigeon. I predicted the menu would have a large emphasis on duck dishes. There were a few, such as the duck stack featuring pancakes, duck gravy, Tabasco onions, duck egg, and seared foie gras. Others include duck frites, foie gras and trotter toast, and foie gras dumplings. But the offerings are mainly not related to duck. The list includes comfort food with a French twist such as smoked sablefish queso dip, steak tartare, delicata squash, fried chicken wings, and seared scallops. The elevated White Castle-like burgers melt in your mouth.
There was no way to visit all the restaurants, wineries, bars, and shops on my list. The Portland area offers a great deal to discover, including soulful experiences packed with substance and unique twists. I guess I’ll just have to book another trip soon.
RESOURCES
Amaterrawines.com
Canardrestaurant.com
Cherylson12th.com
Durantoregon.com
Etfillewines.com
Heylovepdx.com
Jankenrestaurant.com
Japanesegarden.org
Nostrana.com
Redhillsmarket.com
Rexhill.com
Screendoorrestaurant.com (two locations)
Teardroplounge.com
Traveloregon.com
Travelportland.com
Woodlarkhotel.com
